Humidifier

ABSTRACT

A humidifier which incorporates a rotatable moisturizing roller partially immersed in a water reservoir. The moisturizing roller has an outer surface formed by at least one layer of porous material. Further, the moisturizing roller has an open end face which confronts a partition wall member, a blower being located within the moisturizing roller. The partition wall member is provided with an air passage opening communicating with the interior of the roller through its open end face. The axis of the blower extends transversely with respect to the axis of rotation of the moisturizing roller and such blower provides a doublesided or dual inlet radial blower having a substantially spiralshaped casing. This spiral-shaped casing having an outlet portion which extends through said air passage opening in the partition wall member and communicates with the outlet opening of the housing of the humidifier.

United States Patent [72] Inventors HansRudoliStoop Mutscheilen; Karl Flury, Dietikon, both of Switzeriand [21] AppLNo. 727,476 [22] Filed May8,l968 Patented Dec.21,l971 [73] Assignee Defensor AG Zurich, Switzerland [32] Priority May 17,1967 [33] Switzerland [31] 6914/67 [54] HUMIDIFIER 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 55/232, 55/234, 55/467, 261/92 [51] 1nt.Cl ..B01d46/10, F24f3/14 FieldotSearch /419, 227, 260, 232, 234, 467; 261/92, 30; 236/44; l/122;417/367 [56] Reierences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,770,765 7/1930 Bulkeley 236/44 1,776,014 9/1930 Vance 236/44 1,984,135 12/1934 Houston 55/227X 2,001,833 5/1935 Byrd 261/92 2,022,332 11/1935 Woolley..... 237/78X 2,029,368 2/1936 Goldthwaite 236/44X 2,050,824 8/1936 Atherton 236/44 UX 2,109,279 2/1938 Soverhill /122 UX 2,212,239 8/1940 Komroffe etal 236/44 X 2,289,983 7/1942 Moseley 261/30 2,782,015 2/1957 Perrine.... 261/92 X 2,910,279 10/1959 Wood 261/92 X 3,274,993 9/1966 Martin 261/92 X 3,412,530 11/1968 Cardiff.... 55/419 X 2,283,990 5/1942 Highley 55/163 FOREIGN PATENTS 209,606 1/1924 Great Britain 417/367 Primary Examiner-Frank W. Lutter Atwrney-Werner W. 1(leeman ABSTRACT: A humidifier which incorporates a rotatable moisturizing roller partially immersed in a water reservoir. The moisturizing roller has an outer surface formed by at least one layer of porous material. Further, the moisturizing roller has an open end face which confronts a partition wall member, a blower being located within the moisturizing roller. The partition wall member is provided with an air passage opening communicating with the interior of the roller through its open end face. The axis of the blower extends transversely with respect to the axis of rotation of the moisturizing roller and such blower provides a double-sided or dual inlet radial blower having a substantially spiral-shaped easing. This spiralshaped casing having an outlet portion which extends through said air passage opening in the partition wall member and communicates with the outlet opening of the housing of the humidifier.

PATENTED M22! :97: 352 312 SHEET 1 {1F 2 INVENTORS' ATTORNEYS I-IUMIDIFIER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improved room humidi fier.

Room humidifiers are known to the prior art which are of the type wherein the air in the room which is to be humidified is conducted through a moisturizing or wetting drum, this drum rotating about a horizontal axis. Part of the surface of the drum which is formed by a layer of porous material, is im mersed in a water container or reservoir. The air thus conducted through the moisturized or wetted layer thereby absorbs moisture while simultaneously releasing heat of evaporation.

In a known prior art apparatus of this type, the moisturizing drum or roller equipped with an open front face confronts a partition wall having a central opening provided forthe purpose of admitting air into the interior of the drum. Furthermore, this wetting drum is provided therein with a blower wheel or impeller which is coaxially mounted with respect to the axis of such drum. The blower impeller draws air in axial direction through the opening in the partition wall and conveys such, through the portion of the porous surface of the wetting roller which is always located externally of the water reservoir, into a compartment which surrounds the drum or roller and which is equipped with a discharge opening. While in this prior art construction the nonimmersed or free surface portion of the drum which is situated externally of the water reservoir is penetrated relatively uniformly, the quantity of air passing through this surface is relatively small, thus resulting in a relatively poor utilization of the surface of the drum. One of the causes thereof is that the open front end or face of the drum leaves a slot or gap which confronts the partition wall and through which a substantial portion of the air conveyed by the blower impeller can escape while avoiding the wetted layer. Consequently, this quantity of air is not moistened or humidified at all during its passage through the apparatus. Of even greater significance, however, is the fact that the efficiency of the blower impeller which is freely mounted within the wetting roller or drum is rather low, so that even with full utilization of the available space and the available driving power there can be only attained an insufficient air output or efficiency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved humidifier which effectively overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art structures.

Another, more specific object of the present invention is to provide an improved room humidifier which enables the production of a substantially larger quantity of humidified air per unit of time and per unit area of the porous layer, while at the same time maintaining substantially uniform penetration of the air through said porous layer, in other words, to render possible an increase in the efficiency of the air without, at the same time, enlarging the dimensions of the wetting roller or drum.

Still a further significant object of the present invention relates to the provision of an improved room humidifier for effectively and efficiently humidifying the air, wherein the humidifier itself is relatively simple in construction, reasonably economical to manufacture, highly reliable in operation and not readily subject to breakdown.

Now, in order to implement these and still further objects of the invention, which will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, the inventive humidifier comprises a housing or casing and a rotatable moisturizing drum or roller which immerses into a water reservoir or trough. The surface of this roller or drum is formed by at least one layer of porous material. The one open front end of the moisturizing roller faces a partition wall and such roller houses a blower unit in its interior. The partition wall possesses an air opening which communicates with the interior of the moisturizing roller through its open front end and the housing is equipped with an outlet opening for the humidified air. According to one very important aspect of the inventive room air humidifier the blower, the axis of which extends transversely with respect to the axis of rotation of the moisturizing roller or drum, is a double-sided radial blower unit having a spiral casing, the outlet connection of which extends through the opening in the partition wall and communicates with the outlet opening of the housing.

By placing the blower axis transverse with respect to the axis of rotation of the roller or drum it is possible to surround the blower impeller with a spiral-shaped casing, thus achieving a considerably increased efficiency. Since the inlet openings into the spiral casing of the double-sided radial blower are located inside of the completely closed interior compartment of the moisturizing roller, there is produced therein, during the operation of the moisturizing roller, a uniform negative pressure which ensures for a correspondingly uniform penetration of the porous surface layer of the roller by the sucked-in air. According to a preferred embodiment of the inventive humidifier, there are provided two double-sided radial blowers which are coaxially mounted within the moisturizing roller, said radial blowers having spiral-shaped casings which are spaced from one another, and wherein a drive motor common to both blowers is mounted between these two radial blowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be better understood, and objects other than those set forth above, will become apparent, when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description maltes reference to the annexed drawings, wherein:

FIG. I is a vertical cross-sectional view of the inventive humidifier talten along the line 1-1 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the humidifier of FIG. 1, talten along the line lI-ll thereof;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional vie of the humidifier, talten along line llllll in FIG. 2;

FIG. 41 is a cross-sectional view of the humidifier, taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the inventive humidifier apparatus depicting the moisturizing drum or roller in a raised position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Describing now the drawings, the exemplary embodiment of humidifier depicted in various cross-sectional views in FIGS. 1 through d is equipped with a substantially box-shaped water reservoir or trough 2 which is supported upon travelling casters or wheels 6 via lateral support plates 4. These support plates 4 are combined with the side parts or members 8 and 10 to form a substantially trough-shaped lower part which serves to support a frame unit 112. This frame unit 12 supports a cover member lid to which are attached handlebars 16, said cover member M having inserted therein a substantially rectangular-shaped box 18 of shallow depth. A vertical partition wall 20 is mounted to the cover member M, said partition wall 20 extending almost to the floor of the water reservoir and forming two chambers on opposite sides thereof. The humidifier includes a housing of conventional type as shown in the US. Pat. Nos. 2,150,824, 1,984,135 and 2,084,601.

As depicted in FIG. 2, the partition wall 20 carries two spiral-shaped casings or scrolls 22 which are spaced from each other, said spiral-shaped casings containing horizontally mounted, double-sided or dual inlet radial blower impellers M. The blower impellers 241 are seated upon shaft stubs 26 extending from both sides of a common drive motor 28, the latter being mounted between the two spiral-shaped casings 22 and connected to the partition wall 20 by means of a suitable support 30 (FIG. d). The outlet portions or connections 32 of the spiral-shaped casings 22 penetrate through the partition wall 20. These outlet portions 32 extend into a two-part or bipartite outlet channel or compartment 34 which is formed at the opposite side of the partition wall 20.

A gearbox 36 is mounted at the partition wall 20 between the two outlet portions 32, this gearbox extending in the middle region of the outlet compartment or channel 34 up to the region of the shallow box 18 (FIGS. 3 and 4). Gearbox 36 contains a suitable drive motor 38 which is rotatably connected with a moisturizing roller or drum generally designated by reference numeral 44, via a suitable transmission 40 and a power takeoff shaft 42 which penetrates the partition wall 20. The gearbox 36 further contains an auxiliary blower 46 which is driven by the drive motor 38. Auxiliary blower 46 is provided with an outlet which connects via a duct or conduit 48 with a chamber or compartment 50 formed within the shallow box 18, this chamber 50 containing the control or pilot members for the humidifier, as for instance the hygrometer 52 and the thermostat 54. A conduit or duct 56 branches off from duct 48 and leads into the casing of the drive motor 28. Furthermore, the blower 46 has an inlet opening or port 58 for entry of air from externally of the gearbox 36.

The moisturizing roller or drum 44 is equipped with a hub or nave 60 which is mounted on shaft 42. This hub 60, in turn, carrying a cylindrical front disk 62 as well as a cylindrical support member 64 which is attached to the side of the front disk 62 facing the partition wall 20. It should be understood that the cylindrical support member 64 possesses a slightly smaller outside diameter than front disk 62. The support member 64, which may for instance consist of punched sheet metal, carries a layer 66 which completely covers the surface or jacket of the support member and consists of a porous substance, as for example a mat. made of open-cell foam material, for example polyurethane foam. This covering layer 66 flushly connects with the inside surface of the front end face of the neighboring front disk 62, as shown in FIG. 4, whereas the other end of such layer 66 facing the-partition wall 20 is provided with a suitable lip seal 68 which bears against the partition wall 20.

The outlet channel 34, which forms an inlet opening 70 at its lower end for admission of secondary air, contains a heating element or member 74 which is located in a part of the mixing chamber or compartment 72 situated above the outlet connections or portions 32. Heating element 74 is equipped with a crosspiece or bar 76 carrying a plurality of lamellae or fins 78 functioning as sheet-metal guides or deflectors, and wherein a heating coil 80 is cast into the crosspiece 76, as best seen by referring to FIG. 2. The outlet channel 34 opens into an outlet or discharge 82 provided in the shallow box 18, said outlet 82 containing sheet-metal guides or deflectors 84 which are inclined toward the front of the humidifier, as shown. Continuing, it will be recognized that the frame unit 12 carries grid plates 90 and 92 which encase the apparatus on all four sides, said grid plates 90, 92 being covered at their inside surfaces with suitable filter mats 94 and 96. v

Now, if a nonillustrated main switch of the humidifier is switched on, then, the drive motor 38 is maintained in continuous operation and thus drives the blower 46 which sucks in external air through the corresponding grid plate 90 and air filter 94, and thereafter conveys it via the conduit or duct 48 into the compartment or chamber 50 which contains the control elements or members. At the same time, the shaft 42 is driven via the transmission or gearing 40 so that the moisturizing roller or drum 44 likewise continuously rotates. Thus, the layer 66 is maintained in a moisturized or wet condition owing to its movement through the water level or bath 98 contained in the reservoir or tub 2 if the moisture content of the room air which has been conducted into the control chamber 50 containing the hygrometer 52 is below a preset value, then this hygrometer energizes the drive motor 28 which then drives the blower impellers or wheels 24. These blower impellers 24 draw in room air which enters through the air inlet openings 23 via the filters 94 and 96, whereby the air is subjected to a precleaning operation.

This incoming air enters the internal compartment or cavity 100 of the moisturizing or wetting roller 44, through the airpermeable layer 66 and thus absorbs moisture during the 7 course of such passage. By reason of the double-sided constructed radial blowers 24, in other words, by virtue of the provision of inlet openings 23 which are located at both sides of each of the spiral-shaped casings 22, there occurs a uniform throughflow of air through the surface of the wetting layer 66 lying above the level of the water, this airflow taking place approximately in the direction of the arrows 102.

The air conveyed by the radial blowers 24 is blown into the outlet channel 34 via the outlet portions or connections 32 of the spiral-shaped casings 22. Such outlet portions 32 operate in the manner of injection nozzles. Therefore, inlet opening 70 of the outlet channel 34 sucks in unmoisturized air although cleaned by the filters 94 and 96, this air serving as secondary air and being mixed with the blower-conveyed moisturized primary air in the mixing chamber portion 72 of the outlet channel 34. As a result of the admixture of room air with primary air which has been cooled by the removal of heat of evaporation, it is possible to considerably avoid the undesirable sensation of a draft in the room. However, if the resulting room temperature is below the value set at the thermostat 54, then there is additionally activated the heating member 74, whereby the mixed air is heated during its passage through the lamellae 78 which are effective sheet-metal guides or deflectors.

By virtue of the divergent shape of the outlet channel 34 as well as the passage ducts 82 (FIGS. 2 and 3,) there is brought about an effective wide spread diverging distribution of the emerging air. Consequently, the upwardly directed emerging partial air currents are distributed to both sides of the humidifier in such a way that a wide region of the ceiling of the room is subjected to said air currents. Furthermore, by reason of the sheet-metal guides or deflectors 84 which are provided for in the passage duct 82, the air emerging from the humidifier is additionally deflected so that it departs at an acute angle with respect to the vertical. After impacting the ceiling, the partial air currents are then deflected towards the depth of the room, moving along the ceiling towards the sidewall which is located opposite the humidifier, where these air currents are then deflected at said sidewall into the interior of the room. The described airpath has the advantage that people present in the room will not be directly exposed to the humidified air. Furthermore, the temperature of the humidified air increases during its travel along the ceiling of the room.

There remains to be mentioned that the lip sealing arrangement of the moisturizing roller or drum 44 and which cooperates with the partition wall 20, prevents the admission of nonrnoisturized air into the internal compartment 100. Thus, the suction capacity of the radial blowers 22 and 24 is utilized solely for conducting prefiltered room air through the porous layer 66, thereby adding moisture to this air.

It is further significant to mention that the blower unit 46 sucks in filtered air, thereby preventing the control members in the compartment or chamber 50 from becoming contaminated or dusty. The air which has been utilized for control purposes can depart from the chamber 50 through outlet 104 and enter the compartment surrounding the moisturizing roller 44. The air which has been blown by the blower 46 through the conduit or duct 56 into the casing of the drive motor 28 produces therein a higher pressure in relation to the pressure subsisting in the internal compartment 100, this pressure being continuously maintained during the operation of the blowers, thereby preventing penetration of moisturized air into the casing of such drive motor 28.

The aforedescribed humidifier can be cleaned very easily. The filter plates or mats 94 and 96 can be removed by taking out the grid plates and 92, such grid plates being mounted on the frame unit 12 by means of suitable nonillustrated quick closure or fastening mechanisms. On the other hand, the partition wall 20 may be removed complete wi th all parts attached thereto, such as the moisturizing roller or drum 44, the

blowers 22 and 24, the drive motor 28 and the gearbox 36, simply by removing some nonillustrated screws serving to connect the cover member M with the frame unit 112, so that this partition wall 20 can be lifted from the apparatus together with the cover means 14 and the box 18 by means of the handlebars 16. As illustrated in FIG. 1, guide members 106 engage with the vertical boundary edges of the partition wall 20, these guide members are attached to the upper side of the frame unit 12. As FIG. further illustrates, these guide members 106 at the same time form pockets 108 which serve to support the partition wall 20 at its lower edge when such partition wall is in an elevated and somewhat inclined or tilted position. With the partition wall 20 in its elevated position, the moisturizing roller or drum 44 is still well above the water tub or reservoir 2, so that water dropping from such roiler drips into said reservoir or tub. When the partition wall 20 is in that position, it also becomes possible to subject the porous layer 66 to amore accurate control, if desired. Of course, the partition or divider wall 20 may be removed completely from the apparatus after the water emanating from the moisturizing roller 44 has dripped off.

It is still to be mentioned that the internal compartment H00 of the moisturizing roller 44 lying above the water level is optimumly utilized by means of the provision of two doublesided or dual inlet radial blowers 22 and 24. However, it is also feasible to employ only one double-sided radial blower unit instead of two. Further, it should be appreciated that the principle of controlling the humidifier by room air conveyed by means of an auxiliary blower can be also utilized in other embodiments of the humidifier. For example, with one such additional embodiment wherein there is undertaken noncontinuous driving of the moistening drum at least at reduced rotational speed, the auxiliary blower 46 can be provided with a separate drive motor or prime mover. in such case it is desirable that actuation of the drive motor 28 be delayed until after the drive motor 38 for the moisturizing roller is actuated, in order to prevent the passage of air through the as yet nonmoisturized porous layer 66. The time delay should be chosen such that the moisturizing roller 44 preferably completes several rotations, thereby completely wetting the porous layer 66.

On the other hand, it is also feasible to continuously drive both the moisturizing roller 44 as well as the blower impellers 24, whereby the latter, however, at least must operate at reduced rotational speed. In so doing, there should be provided a bypass into the internal compartment 160, thus bypassing the porous layer 66 which can be done for example by axial displacement of the moisturizing roller 44 or by providing a scalable or closable throughpassage opening in the partition wall 26, for example. Thus, the moisturizing roller 44 or its porous layer 66, respectively, would be kept continuously moistened but the blower would convey untreated air until such time as the hygrometer would indicate the requirement for additional room humidity. It would be possible to separate from the nonmoisturized air thus conveyed by the blower, a portion which would serve as control air and to conduct it in the described manner to the hygrometer or the ther mostat respectively. Upon response of the hygrometer not only would the drive motor 24 be switched to its full rotational speed, but the bypass opening would be closed, for instance electromagnetically.

With respect to the depicted arrangement it is also possible to make a modification in the sense that the auxiliary blower 46 conveys the room air in the reverse direction, that is to say, such auxiliary blower sucks it directly into the chamber 50 which then communicates directly with the atmosphere.

While there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.

Accordingl what is claimed is:

. A humr iiier comprising a housing means and a water reservoir therein, a partition wall member located in said housing means for subdividing said housing means into two chambers, a rotatable moisturizing roller means partially immersed in said water reservoir, said moisturizing roller means being located in one of said chambers, said moisturizing roller having an outer surface formed by at least one layer of a porous material, said moisturizing roller means further having an open end face confronting said partition wall member, said moisturizing roller means having a front disk opposite the open end face, blower means located within said moisturizing roller means, said partition wall member being provided with an air passage opening communicating with the interior of said moisturizing roller means through its open end face, said housing means being equipped with an air inlet opening means for communicating ambient air with the interior of said one chamber and an outlet opening for the moisturized air, air filter means for the ambient air provided for said air inlet means, said blower means having an axis which extends transversely with respect to the axis of rotation of said moisturizing roller means and providing a double-sided radial blower means having an approximately spiral-shaped casing in said housing means, said spiral-shaped casing; having an outlet portion which extends through said air passage opening in said partition wall member and communicates with said outlet opening of said housing means, said partition wall member serving to support said moisturizing roller means, said blower means, and said spiral-shaped casing contained in said housing means.

2. A humidifier as defined in claim ll, further including means for detachably mounting said partition wall member within said housing means, said partition wall member and said moisturizing roller means, said blower means and said spiral-shaped casing attached thereon being withdrawable from said housing means, to assume an approximately vertical position above said water reservoir, a cover member for form ing the top of said housing means, said cover member supporting said partition wali member, said cover member being equipped with handlebars.

3. A humidifier as defined in claim 2, wherein said housing means is provided with means for supporting said partition wall member in its withdrawn approximately vertical position above said water reservoir. 

1. A humidifier comprising a housing means and a water reservoir therein, a partition wall member located in said housing means for subdividing said housing means into two chambers, a rotatable moisturizing roller means partially immersed in said water reservoir, said moisturizing roller means being located in one of said chambers, said moisturizing roller having an outer surface formed by at least one layer of a porous material, said moisturizing roller means further having an open end face confronting said partition wall member, said moisturizing roller means having a front disk opposite the open end face, blower means located within said moisturizing roller means, said partition wall member being provided with an air passage opening communicating with the interior of said moisturizing roller means through its open end face, said housing means being equipped with an air inlet opening means for communicating ambient air with the interior of said one chamber and an outlet opening for the moisturized air, air filter means for the ambient air provided for said air inlet means, said blower means having an axis which extends transversely with respect to the axis of rotation of said mOisturizing roller means and providing a double-sided radial blower means having an approximately spiral-shaped casing in said housing means, said spiral-shaped casing having an outlet portion which extends through said air passage opening in said partition wall member and communicates with said outlet opening of said housing means, said partition wall member serving to support said moisturizing roller means, said blower means, and said spiralshaped casing contained in said housing means.
 2. A humidifier as defined in claim 1, further including means for detachably mounting said partition wall member within said housing means, said partition wall member and said moisturizing roller means, said blower means and said spiral-shaped casing attached thereon being withdrawable from said housing means, to assume an approximately vertical position above said water reservoir, a cover member for forming the top of said housing means, said cover member supporting said partition wall member, said cover member being equipped with handlebars.
 3. A humidifier as defined in claim 2, wherein said housing means is provided with means for supporting said partition wall member in its withdrawn approximately vertical position above said water reservoir. 